Of Past, Present, and Future
by ShadyxLane
Summary: Clare's been through a lot and she knows how much she's affected Eli. But maybe time apart was just what they needed, if it was meant to be it would happen right? But what happens when fate throws a wrench in the machine, a childhood friend...Jake!


**A/N - This just occurred to me that Justin Kelly will be joining Degrassi and I'm stoked. Munro & Justin together again in a serious show playing serious characters. I had to write this when I realized Justin would be playing a childhood friend of Clare's named Jake. (Ha-ha kind of twilight-esque Edward/Jacob … Eli/Jake). Anyway I have lots of time to update my other story so I'll do that, my mom and I are just preparing for my big College entrance at St. John's University. Freaking $49,000 but if all my financial aid goes … too complicated to think about … Anyway here's a new story, possible one-shot. **

**Enjoy. **

**-ShadyxLane**

**When Clare Met Jake … Again. **

It was the beginning of a new school year and everything seemed to be going smooth so far. No sign of Eli or Adam so maybe she was in the clear, she had avoided seeing them the entire break as much as she wanted to check up on him and see how he was doing she knew the best way to leave things was to just walk away and wash her hands of it all. Did she still feel for him? Yes. Was that feeling intense and utter love? Yes. But Eli needed help and she couldn't stay there by his side encouraging his behavior… he'd become spastic, overbearing, and in many ways he scared her. The entire Stalker Angel bit was okay with her but it seemed as if it were coming to life before her. Rachel didn't have a chance, Clare on the other hand was not a creation of Eli's pen she had the opportunity and she took it. He may say he was just a bit intense but he was in a manic state.

Intense? _Ha_.

Rick Murray also said he was being just a little intense before he beat his girlfriend and sent her into a coma, then he became a little intense with everyone else, decided to shoot up the place.

_Julia. _

No matter what, it always came back to Julia. Clare would no longer be in the shadow of the girl who she could never outshine. That was his number one issue the whole time. The secrets, the hoarding, the over obsessive ness was all a factor of what happened to her, Eli needed to fix himself and learn forgiveness then maybe they'd be able to find their way back to what she thought they had become.

But … for now she'd have to make due with her decision to steer clear of him until she was sure he was better. Which is why she stayed in cahoots with Bullfrog to keep an eye on him without ever having to go near him.

Today was a new day.

The day a new Clare would enter Degrassi.

Single as she always was on a first day, maybe this was her tradition.

Clare made her way to her newly assigned locker and was greeted with the back of a tall stranger whose bag was blocking her locker.

"Excuse Me?" she said, but she got no response.

"Umm, Excuse me, can you please move your bag tall stranger?"

"Ha-ha. I'm no stranger," he said as he turned around. He looked very familiar but she couldn't place his voice.

"Really Clare, it's me Jake. Jake Martin…okay your memory is not serving you well so let me refresh it for you"

Clare just stood there trying to determine why he knew her but she didn't know him.

"We were seven the first time we met and my m-mom and dad were visiting your parents for who knows what…but I accidentally pushed you into the grass and my dad dropped my pants right there in your front yard for putting my hands on a girl even if it was accidental but you… you stopped him and explained."

Clare was slightly recalling the events as this boy, Jake was reciting them.

**FLASHBACK**

_A seven year old Clare, with a blue and white checked pattern dress that slightly resembled Dorothy's ensemble in the Wizard of Oz sat in her front yard reading a children's bible. _

_The sound of tires running over the gravel in her families driveway, surely it had to be someone she didn't know, they weren't expecting any family, and as both her parents were upstairs in their home. _

_The car doors opened and out stepped a couple she noticed from her church and a young boy no older than Clare herself. A boy with brown eyes and speckles of topaz and brown spiky hair._

_Clare approached them, bible in hand. _

"_Can I help you Mister and Misses Martin?" she said in her already perfected English._

"_Hello Clare, we we're just coming to do bible study with your parents." Mrs. Martin said with a wide, beautiful smile of sparkling white teeth._

"_Oh okay, they're right inside you can all just go in." _

"_Mom, dad can I stay out here with Clare?" said the boy._

"_Sure, Jake just don't cause no trouble, y'hear?" said Mr. Martin_

"_I won't dad, I promise!" _

"_You wan' play tag?"_

"_That's a baby game, but okay ..." she said running towards him tapping his shoulder "you're it!" _

"_No fair"_

_Jake chased her around the yard giving her a small advantage slowing himself down, but as Clare mocked him he ran faster and as he tapped her shoulder Clare fell to her knees and tears sprung into her eyes as she let out painful cry, alerting the parents inside that something was wrong. When they came outside to find Clare faced down with grass stains on her new dress and Jake over her trying to wipe them off… it didn't look good._

_After Clare had explained saving Jake from being disciplined, his family went home and would often return almost weekly until they were ten, then it suddenly stopped. _

**END FLASHBACK**

"OHHH MY GOSH!" Clare screamed hugging Jake as if her were a teddy bear she'd lost and had just found in her closet.

"That was more the reaction I was hoping for…" he chuckled.

"How'd you know it was me? I don't even look the same and you… you definitely don't look the same, you don't have that overbite anymore or that lisp"

"I'm going to ignore the fact that you insulted me because you tried to cover it with a compliment, I saw you this morning coming in and I knew it was you. No one is Riverdale has hair your color and I'm pretty sure no one on the planet has eyes that shine in such an enticing crystal blue."

"Oh, enticing? That's a double scramble word." she said with a half smile.

"Well they are, you have pretty eyes."

Clare winced at the statement.

Darn it Eli, we're not even together and still you're everywhere around me.

She cursed him mentally.

"So, wanna give me the grand tour?"

She looked up into his eyes slightly taken in, but as she looked over his shoulder Adam and Eli came into view.

She quickly looked back to Jake and replied "Sure."

They quickly turned towards the foyer and walked ahead with Clare not looking back to Eli once.


End file.
